 Welcome to NTR Nightly, I am Genelle Norville, this edition's top stories. A return in national registers St. Lucia's 23rd case of COVID-19. COVID-19 certified hotel properties welcome the safety net established protocols provide. And Prime Minister, the Honourable Alan Chastney is lauded for the economic recovery plans for St. Lucia. On Tuesday, July 14, 2020, St. Lucia recorded a positive case of COVID-19. The individual is a 27-year-old male, a returning national who arrived in St. Lucia on Friday, July 10, 2020. Upon arrival, he was tested and placed in institutional quarantine. Upon receipt of the results, the individual has been transferred to the respiratory hospital for isolation and related supportive care. He is currently doing well. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar George says the risk to people in quarantine and staff of the facility is low, given the infection prevention and control guidelines in place at the quarantine site. Dr. Belmar George reminds that as St. Lucia moves to the fifth phase of the reopening of the economy, which is the highest risk to the population, it is anticipated that there will be the introduction of cases with both returning nationals and tourist arrivals. Therefore, we remind the public on the importance of the protocols as we continue to manage COVID-19. All sectors are encouraged to adhere to the public health protocols, which include the recommended physical distancing, regular hand washing if soap and water, and the proper use of the face mask or scarf. At this stage, practically all of the sectors have reopened, and the public is reminded that mass crowd events are still closed. Nationals and visitors are asked to adhere to the protocols that have been put in place. This effort will play a significant part in minimizing the threat of COVID-19. The Ministry of Health and Wellness is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and has recently convened an emergency meeting to ensure the reinforcement of the protocols for guests at all approved COVID-19 certified accommodation. The Ministry of Health and Wellness has reiterated the importance of quarantine as a measure to minimize the risk of transmitting COVID-19. As it stands right now, the policy for passengers returning to St. Nusha outside of the Caribbean bubble is to undergo institutional quarantine. Some passengers may qualify for home quarantine based on certain requirements. Those who qualify for home quarantine include minors, those less than 18 years, families with young children, individuals with underlying medical conditions or disabilities, and those persons who home meet the criteria for home quarantine. The public is asked to cooperate and encourage family members and friends who have returned from overseas and are presently in quarantine to remain at home for the 14-day duration. The names of all persons in home quarantine will be forwarded to the Royal St. Nusha Police Force to support with the enforcement of compliance. The public is advised that they should alert the nearest police station or the Ministry of Health and Wellness at 468-5349, 468-5342 or 468-5312 with information in relation to anyone who breaches home quarantine guidelines. Chief Medical Officer Dr Sharon Belmar George. Two COVID-19 certified hotel properties have been sharing their experience as the island tourism sector reopens. Anisia Antoine has the details. As St. Nusha officially opened its borders on July 6, 2020, hoteliers have put measures in place in following the established protocols to ensure that the health of locals and visitors alike remain a priority. General Manager of the Bay Gardens Hotel, Waltrude Patrick, explained that staff have undergone immense training to make certain that they are well prepared. The manager noted that currently 35 staff have resumed work. What we do now, the staff bus will pick up the staff at the closest point to their home. When the staff gets on property, and I always tell them hand washing is more effective than all the sanitizing. So there is a hand washing station as they enter the property, wash their hands, they do their temperature checks, then they go on clock in and they're going. When the staff are leaving after they've completed their day's work, they have a shower before they leave the property, and we now, we have brought in a team from 3 to 11 and 11 to 7 to wash laundry and iron the staff uniform. So they don't leave the property going back home with their uniforms. So the uniforms are washed on property, they take a shower before they leave. So when they come back the next day, they come in with the civilian clothes, but they're going and they have their uniforms already. The general manager detailed the preventative measures that have been implemented for visitors to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19. To start off, first of all, when the guests came in, because the vehicle would have already gone through the protocols from the airport, and they came in, they did the sanitizing as they entered the property. From sanitizing, they went straight to the notice station so they can have the temperature check done. From temperature check, they proceeded to the counter to do the actual check-in. So in the past, we would print a red card, give the guests a pen, and again, because health, safety, and you know, keeping the six feet physical distancing, all that coming into play. So we now have contactless check-in procedures, meaning the guests would go, we have the monitor, the guests would do the check-in in, and you know, after the check-in, then they go online, they go to the rooms, and we no longer, in the past, we had a welcome pack. Everything now, you have Q4, you have scan me, and that is how you're going to get the information. So for dining, for spa, anything you need, no longer people. So the guest is the only one who's going to handle that key. Public relations manager at Sandals Resorts, Judy Ditterville, stated that the training and protocols put in place by the Ministry of Tourism have played an effective role in assisting the resort chain. The COVID-19 certification has created an element of safety for both visitors and workers. They're coming to a hotel that has been COVID certified, and so they understand that there will be a level of protocols in place already. So our job really is to maintain the communication to ensure they understand what can be done and what cannot be done to keep all of us safe, them as well as us and the country by extension as well. So the training has been critical throughout the process. The tourism representatives encouraged all individuals to continue to take the necessary precautions to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19. From the Government Information Service, I am Anisia Antoine reporting. St. Lucia Bede farewell to 30 of the Cuban healthcare workers who are here assisting with COVID-19 efforts. The practitioners have completed the medical mission to St. Lucia. More in this report from Fernelle Neptune. A batch from the Cuban Medical Brigade, on a mission to help St. Lucia fight the COVID-19 pandemic, recently returned him to Cuba. Minister for Health and Wellness, Senator the Honourable Mary Isaac, commended the Cuban healthcare workers for the sterling contribution and service provided to the people of St. Lucia. So they are returning home. They have served us in St. Lucia. They have served us extremely well. Our people were reporting how pleased they are to have had these nurses and doctors attend to them during their stay here in St. Lucia. I have already thanked them on behalf of the Government and people of St. Lucia. I have thanked them for the service that they gave to us so freely, so willingly and so lovingly. And we are here to say goodbye to them. Sadly, but it is a reality that, you know, all good things often come to an end. Cuban Ambassador to St. Lucia, His Excellency Alejandro Simanca Simarin, emphasised the importance of the international cooperation between the two countries and expressed their commitment to continue providing medical support. And especially a moment for them because after three months of working together, they are already part of the beautiful history of friendship, cooperation and solidarity between Cuba and St. Lucia. On behalf of the Cuban Government, on behalf of the Cuban people, on behalf of the Cuban medic obligator, I would like to express our appreciation to the St. Lucia Government, to the St. Lucia people, to the St. Lucia Minister of Health and Wernher, the Minister Mary Isaac, who has been very kind to be here with us today. I would like to express our appreciation to all of them for the hospitality shown to the Cuban health specialists. A total of 29 nurses and one doctor of the Cuban Medical Brigade completed the medical mission and deported St. Lucia for Cuba. Reporting from the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, I am Fernelle Neptune. And with the departure of the 30 Cuban Medical Workers, 83 remain on island aiding in the COVID-19 fight. More in this report. The Cuban Medical Practitioners deployed here to assist with the COVID-19 fight are members of the Henry Reeve Brigade, the Brigade specializes in medical assistance in cases of disaster or emergency. A total of 113 doctors, nurses and biomedical engineers made up the first group that arrived in St. Lucia on March 27, 2020. They are among more than 1,000 healthcare workers that Cuba sent to 18 countries on three continents since the start of the deadly pandemic. The largest groups of Cuban Medical Workers were sent to Jamaica at 140. St. Lucia received the second largest at 113 and Barbados received 101. Smaller groups traveled across the eastern Caribbean. St. Vincent and the Grenadines received 16 members, Antigone Barbuda 29, Dominica 35, St. Kitts and Nevis 34 and Grenada 5. The health workers sent to Barbados and Grenada, mostly women, are nurses. Other countries received a combination of physicians, nurses and technicians who are members of a Cuban International Brigade that specializes in disaster situations and epidemics. From the Government Information Service, let's address their reporting. On the heels of the unveiling of the Economic Recovery and Resilience Plan for St. Lucia, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, the Honourable Alan Chastney, has been lauded by Caribbean Economist and Advisor Marla Ducaran for the growth path outlined for the island as the region prepares to emerge from COVID-19. Caribbean Economist and Advisor Marla Ducaran spoke to the Prime Minister of St. Lucia, the Honourable Alan Chastney, in a sit-down interview dubbed St. Lucia in a Post-COVID World. The Prime Minister discussed the many measures implemented by St. Lucia in an effort to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. He explained that tough decisions had to be made as the country battled both health and economic crises simultaneously. It soon became clear that St. Lucia would not be able to achieve the estimated growth predicted for the island for 2020. Instead, government was now faced with the reality of having to borrow to keep the economy afloat. Honourable Chastney indicated that he was not fond of having to borrow to serve his debt, having recently attained a 59% debt-to-GDP ratio, a figure below the 60% benchmark set by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, ECCB. However, Caribbean Economist Marla Ducaran had some insight to share. Whether or not you borrow a cent, your debt-to-GDP ratio is going to go up because the economy is contracting, so your numerator is getting smaller. But in your case, and in most countries' cases, the numerator is also getting bigger. Congratulations on achieving the 59% pre-COVID. And I know that the ECCU has this goal of everybody coming at or below 60% debt-to-GDP. I feel like you ought not to worry too much, Prime Minister, right now, about debt-to-GDP because it's really about keeping your economy stable and keeping people healthy and productive in some way. So I feel like now is not the time for us to have these traditional anxieties and around debt-to-GDP. We could let that go for now. The Prime Minister also discussed revenue-generating initiatives undertaken by the government, such as the Citizenship by Investment Program, CIP. Having been one of the last countries to commence the program, Honorable Shasne explained that the government did not want to compete on price, but instead was looking to differentiate the product. So we put in what we thought was the competitive price, sadly, which is $100,000, and focused on the products and also said that we were going to have a very stringent due diligence program. And I'm very proud of the fact that that's exactly what we achieved. So how do we differentiate the product is to go after high net worth individuals. So one, offering the headquarters. So a person now can become a citizen in San Lucia, open up a headquarters, and is both a citizen and shows that he has a business in San Lucia. So it doesn't seem like he's just carrying a passport for a passport sake. The other one is that we're in the process of creating a residency program. So that fact, a person can either purchase real estate in San Lucia through the CIP program and now pay taxes of about $35,000 a year. So again, now a person can say, I have a residence in San Lucia, I have a business in San Lucia, I pay personal income taxes in San Lucia, and that gives them the substance when they're going around the world. So San Lucia is not going into the volume game. What we're going into is quality. I'm trying to go after individuals of high net worth and that they're going to bring their friends here. The government of San Lucia remains committed to providing aid to all those negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the continued development of San Lucia. And this is NTI Nightly. Up next, Primus Hutchinson with the NTI Nouvelle of Wey O'Ole. In an effort to ensure patient and first responder safety, the St. Lucia Fire Service has reviewed its patient transfer procedures, especially for patients with respiratory distress. Face masks will be provided. At no time during transportation should the face mask be removed. Please, be patient and cooperative during this time to ensure you receive the best possible care while keeping our first responders safe. Welcome back. We join Primus Hutchinson for the NTI Nouvelle of Wey O'Ole. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, we are very pleased to have you here to perform this service. Minister Sotia, we would like to thank you for supporting us in this program. Ambassador Cuba, Alejandro Simancas-Marin will support the International Cooperation of two countries. And by commitment, Cuba will continue to assist Sotia in this service. Ambassador Marin, this is a special moment because after three months of working together, we have already worked together in the history of good friends, cooperation and solidarity with Cuba and Sotia. Ambassador Cuba, we would like to thank Minister Sotia and Minister Mary Isaac for the excellent work. And I would like to thank Cuba for always supporting us in this service. For the specialists of Cuba and for the support of the doctors of Cuba. This is a complete mission and I would like to thank the country of Cuba. Minister of Education, I would like to thank the Common Entrance Examination for the students who took the examination in 1432. It was a girl. In 1432, it was a girl. In 1432, they took the examination in 1432. In 1432, it was a girl. The Common Entrance Examination was by multiple choice. The selection of the examination was chosen with several choices. Minister of Education, I would like to thank the Common Entrance Examination for the students who took the examination in 1432. It was a girl. In 1432, it was a girl. In 1432, it was a girl. In 1432, it was a girl. In 1432, It was a girl. In 1432, it was a girl. In 1432, it was a girl. In 1432, it was a girl. For 22- The way you discuss your program in the end, you'll face a public who are Calypso de Milve. I certainly see Dennis Ticcaro-Lio and Lennon Blizz Prospect, who will present your organization of who you can put in our balance ink. You'll be able to put in the organization's money and search for some to be established on the level of support for the artists. According to Blizz, the corona virus has spread all over the place, and the arrangement has already been put in place for Calypso de Milve to be established on the level of support for the artists. But more than that, these artists have a position that they can't do. They have money and coffee, and I've just lost my daughter. Because we can't come here as spectators. We can't pay for these spectators. We can't do it in the media. We can't do it in the virtual world. We can't even pay for that. We can't do it in the costs. We can't do it in the past. We can't do it in the sponsored music. We can't do it in the future. We can't do it in the world. We can't do it in the future. We can't do it in the activities. We can't do it in the West. We can't do it in the West. We can't do it in the future. Blizz also talked about a special show that he organized for me. A virtual show. He did it on the internet and on TV. But I want to introduce him to you. He did it live. He's a cultural center. He invited people to come here. He wanted to pay a premium to come here. He didn't want to go there. He wanted to come here as a spectator. He wanted to go live in the world. He wanted to go to the world. You can come here to because of the place. He wants to come here as spectator. He wants to go live on the premium. But he was a guy who is also working on social media. He wants to go play sister's concert. He wants to attend aół to attend aPlayer Festival. He want to attend a Clone챱 Durchve traditional play or other play. He wants to have a figure. Thank you very much for your time and for your invitation. Thank you for your time and for your invitation. Thank you for your time and for your invitation. And that brings us to the end of NTIA Nightly. Join us next time at 7pm with a repeat at 7am. You can also catch up with us anytime on the Synclusia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I am Janelle Norville.